MOTORISTS slapped with parking fines in East Lancashire hospitals will no longer receive notices placed on their vehicle.

The printed black and yellow parking charge notices alerting drivers to fines at hospital car parks will be replaced by a new enforcement system.

It will see no notice printed and instead a letter will be sent to the vehicle’s registered keeper around eight days after the breach.

This letter will include photographic evidence and details of how to accept or dispute the notice.

The new enforcement system will apply to both public and staff car parks at Royal Blackburn, Accrington Victoria, Pendle Community and Clitheroe Community hospitals.

It will not apply at Burnley General Teaching Hospital where parking enforcement notices will continue to be issued.

The move follows a change to East Lancashire Hospital Trust’s car park management company over the past few months.

The trust said in a statement on their website that the new system will use the latest technology approved by the government.

The statement reads: “It is extremely important that the trust manages hospital sites safely and effectively for patients, staff and visitors, including the emergency services.

“If you are visiting one of our hospitals, please remember to only park in marked bays/designated areas.”

Changes to the trust’s system for parking notice enforcements come after figures showed a drop in the amount of money the trust raised from parking fines.

Money raised decreased from £25,121.80 in 2016/17 to £17,653.45 in 2017/18, according to data obtained by the Press Association.

County Cllr Azhar Ali, former health and wellbeing cabinet member at Lancashire County Council, said that although he felt the new system would be better, he would prefer for parking charges at hospitals to be scrapped altogether.

He said: “I would like to see hospitals not charging for car parking full stop.

“It is better to inform the registered keeper by letter rather than people having to come back to notices on their cars, but people are still getting fined either way at the end of the day.

“So I would like to see hospitals get rid of these charges which amount to a tax on the sick and disabled.”